The fam and I had a fabu spring break in Florida… sun, rest, and laughs (and tears, yes, it happens when you are constantly around 4 people 24/7, and yes, I probably cried the most! Ha!).
Besides lying on the beach and being present with the people I love the most, I also have to confess that one of my favorite parts of the vacation was going to yoga class. By myself. (Like I said, I love my family, but some alone time never hurts).
On our way back home, we stopped in Savannah. I found a gorgeous yoga center with a juice shop. Perfect. Vinyasa and green juice, my jams.
At the top of the stairs, I saw this amazing community board.
I smiled as I read the power of the words: I AM confident. I AM sexy. I AM possibility. I AM motivated. I AM beautiful. I AM love.
Yes, I AM! But a rush of I AM bloated, I AM full, I AM breaking out, came over me.
For the past few months, I have been doing more eating out due to travel and this vacation did me in. To keep my body in balance, I tend to eat out about once a week at the most. Sometimes I would go for weeks without going to restaurants. The reason is that the extra sugar and salt in the food affects me. Plus a glass of wine here and there…for my body, eating out just doesn’t work. I could feel it in my jeans as well as see it on my face.
In the past, I would berate myself for not having control and vow to do better. I would deprive, weigh and measure in order to get back to balance. I would shout in my head, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you eating this bad food?”
But as you know, things like that keep you stuck and you end up feeling defeated. Plus I never knew the WHY, the causes of feeling blah.
After learning how to listen to my body with detox over the years, I didn’t stay in that stuck moment for long. I reminded myself that I know why I feel that way (eating out! which includes the bread basket, wine and dessert), and I’ll be able to get back on track. No worries. I quickly reverted my thoughts to I AM abundant. I AM inspiration. I AM ENOUGH.
Since I know the culprit of my bloated belly and breakouts, I am taking a break from eating out and doing a few things diligently to get back on track.
One BIG thing I am doing to flush out the yuk is something that Jennifer Aniston (soooooo love her; who doesn’t love Rachel!) drinks each morning.
AND guess what, we do this very same thing during our Renewal detoxes!
Photo credit: Harper’s Bazaar
“If I’m working, I’m up at 4:30, 5 a.m. If not, between 8 and 9 a.m., because I’m a late-night person—I putter. But usually when I wake up, I’ll make my standard cup of water with a slice of lemon in there.” ~Jennifer Aniston
She also does her Transcendental meditation and adds collagen to her smoothies, but this simple act to start your day is crucial for setting up good habits.
I know, water is such a boring subject, but this liquid wonder can work magic. We are made up of 70-80% water so replenishing especially right when you wake up is necessary.
Drink your water with lemon first thing in the morning(immediately upon waking, even before you go to the bathroom), and wait 15 to 30 minutes to have breakfast. This will help you fully receive the benefits, which are listed below.
Here are 5 health benefits of water with lemon you might not know about:
- Boosts immune system:Lemons contain Vitamin C and potassium.Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning gives the body a chance to absorb these vitamins and minerals effectively and can provide a little immune boost.Vitamin C is also good for the adrenals and can help reduce the affects of stress.
- Aids digestion:The biggest lemon water benefit may be from the temperature of the water and not even the lemon. Drinking water, or especially warm water, first thing in the morning can help flush the digestive system and rehydrate the body. Your organs, especially the liver, detoxifies naturally while you are sleeping, cleaning your system to get ready for the next day. You wake up rather acidic (in your blood cells) so the water naturally brings things back to balance. Water with lemon helps things flow easily (if you know what I mean).
- A natural flush: The liver is extremely active during sleep since sleep is the body’s time to restore and regenerate. Drinking enough water, especially in the morning, helps make sure that the body can perform during the day. Your lymph system (seat of immunity) is boosted as well as your metabolism, aiding in an all-body flush, inside and out.
4. Clear skin: The antioxidants in lemon juice help to not only decrease blemishes, but wrinkles too! Lemon water can also be applied to age spots to reduce their appearance, and because it’s detoxifying your blood cells, it will maintain your skin’s glow.
By helping flush the body and improve digestion, lemon water can lead to cleaner skin. It also contains Vitamin C which is needed for collagen production for smooth, healthy skin.
5. Maintain a healthy weight: Lemons contain pectin fiber, which assists in fighting hunger cravings. Many times when we get that hunger feeling, we are, in fact, dehydrated. So reaching for that lemon water can help you cut down on extra noshing.
Here’s how I make my lemon water (I’m a lemon whore… I use 3 slices!):
SO we can do like Jennifer and drink our lemon water each morning… a great detox habit you can implement a.s.a.p. Yaaaassss!
Do you drink lemon water each morning?
PS. We will be drinking up (lemon water that is!) during the LIVE Spring Renewal 10 Day Detox happening April 18th.
Click here for deets>>> Spring Renewal Detox
